Twice in NFL annals, their title game was played on a Monday December 26th as deference to the Christmas holiday.
There is no such deference today as 3 games, all involving teams, entering today with 3 “reg” games remaining, are to be played.
In 1955, on the day after Christmas, Monday December 26th, the great Otto Graham, a man really overlooked in the often ridiculous who is the greatest discussion, played brilliantly in his last game, throwing for and running in 2 touchdowns each, as the Cleveland Browns eased (38-14) at the still active, now venerable Los Angeles Coliseum vs the Rams, to repeat as NFL champions.
The other Monday/day after Christmas title game was played at Franklin Field in Philadelphia in 1960.
In that game the home team, Eagles defeated the Green Bay Packers (17-13) in what was Pack coach’ Vince Lombardi’s lone playoff loss in what was his first such game. His teams won the other 9, manifesting in Green Bay titles in ’61,’62 and the unprecedented 3 straight from (’65-’67.)
Philly’s quarterback in the ’60 title tilt win was Norm Van Brocklin. He was on the quarterback on the team with less points scored in the other Monday December 26th, title game.
An iconic photo of three greats that played in the ’60 title tilt.
In it, the Eagles’ great Chuck Bednarik, who played both offense and defense, is flanked by running greats #5 Paul Hornung and #31 Jim Taylor.
Today on the 50th anniversary of the incredible touchdown play that gave the long “suffering,” Pittsburgh Steelers their first ‘offs win, I remember the far greater contributions of the man who scored that famed touchdown, Franco Harris.
Franco, so sadly, died days back at age 72.
A comparison, as a way to heap “mucho” praise on both Franco Harris and one, Reginald Martinez Jackson.
Each great, Harris was a better player and his superb clutch play that was an integral part of 4 Steelers’ title teams (’74,’75, ’78 and ’79) nearly matches that of Reggie, who did so much, especially as a clutch hitter on 5 championship teams (The Oakland Athletics (1972-1974) and the New York Yankees (1977 and 1978).
A play recalled by the Steelers’ great quarterback, Terry Bradshaw was Harris’ 22 yard touchdown run that put “Pitts” up by 11, soon they led by 18, in an eventual “bad/even horrible for the books,” “on the #” 4 point win, vs Dallas in the 13th Supe.
Of course, “Schtunk” had 4 and a half, while I, who got the lucky “push,” not before throwing something against the wall with ferocity, but nowhere near that of the positive such and determination by Franco, on that run, as he scored.
There is so much else to add, the sad coincidences and criticism of the NFL playing on Christmas Eve can wait (guess it did not).
So, it is often said, can heaven.
However, we, Roberto Clemente that New Year’s Eve 50 years ago and now Franco days before the Slot 1 ’72 game anniversary and the so far over due number retirement (Only Ernie Stautner and Joe Greene were honored with their Steelers’ numbers retired. My man “Stall,” John Stallworth, Lynn Swann , Bradshaw, and “Jacks” Ham and Lambert, all superb players, wait– but “it” does not wait) go there.
If, unlike Oakland, at least according to Gertrude Stein, Oakland, (now Vegas in the never ending “Roman Empire” aspect of the NFL, Oakland was a great Pittsburgh rival and as “L.V.” and also at (6-8), faces “Pitts” in that Christmas Eve tilt), there is a there, there–Franco will join Roberto and probably help, as they did in non sports efforts while on earth.
Two ways to close this, one with my overwhelming feeling of praise for Franco being the main and first “close.”
Next, my friend the late Beano Cook talked of two guys riding in a car approaching the tunnel in Pittsburgh, who had Oakland plus 2 and a half, that December 23rd, 50 years ago today.
Going through the tunnel, two things transpired–one they lost the radio reception (Jack Fleming’s immortal “caught out of the air”call, not aired in the tunnel) and Mr. Harris scored a touchdown yielding (13-7) Steelers, on an incredible play, to essentially give the Steelers in their 40th season with such a possibility, a first playoffs game victory.
As their car exited the tunnel, the crowd noise on the radio and maybe even sans radio was deafening.
One said to the other, “maybe it was a field goal and we still won the bet.” The other said “No, too much noise it was a touchdown!”
It was! One of the most incredible ever and scored by one of the greatest players ever, Franco, who did so much more than that in his great career.
The two bettors, each distraught, left the car and looked up at those heavens and asked Why?!!” In a larger sense we all do, however, somehow with memories and the great examples set by Harris and Clemente, we go on–a mural near that tunnel, reminding us of them and others, with another day, albeit one with gloomy weather, ahead.
The great Franco Harris, pictured above.
Try viewing the video below even if you must go elsewhere as instructed. On it Franco scores an above referenced touchdown vs the Dallas Cowboys in an eventual (35-31) win for the Steelers in Supe 13.
Additionally in the 10th paragraph of a post below from October 2016, I note comedian Marty Allen being so glad to meet Franco, when the former was being honored.
A Fantastic show With Husband And Wife Team Marty Allen And Karon Kate Blackwell
Believe me, I am aware of two more important, depressing developments that I will address (at least one), in the days ahead.
Evoking Karen and The Carpenters, “for now this is my (not song-though as in the relevant to me, “Goodbye to Love” it applies to a life sans it) post.”
Philadelphia (Eagles) sporting a so impressive (13-1) record has a magic number of 1 to clinch the NFC top seed. As usual, day short/unaware me, even though aware that if Philly (opened pk, to Plil -1, up to Dallas -6 now 4 half as Hurts is hurt, but who knows status) beats Dallas they get a “mo” (of Cheeks, the same calendar ’83 Sixers title and I will stop the tangents with that) of no meaningful action.
Being succinct, I did not “jump” on Dallas say “Pk,” thinking they would win as Philly may be better off if that would occur. (Past history in such situations available for researchers).
Both S.F. (49ers) and the Minne Vikings clinched div crowns and almost certain 2 or 3 seeds (I believe Minne leads by a fraction game for the “2”) with non Sunday game wins.
(10-4) SF covered, but in an “all tease” vs (7-7) Seattle (Seahawks) Thursday night tilt, while Minne “scored” the NFL’s greatest game comeback, winning down (33-0) by a (39-36) count as a 4 point or so “fave” in a (3rd generation, also follow not the $ but perhaps the “Jobe”) Noah Eagle/NFL Network, first of 3 this past Saturday.
Do not attempt with the horizontal, vertical or the last paragraph, a license plate as I scrambled for parking in oh so “crowded Cross County shopping Center,” clearly had “NOAH” as its last 4 letters.
Elsewhere, despite a disgraceful, especially for a “div” leader, (6-8) T.B. still leads the other three (5-9) teams in the woeful NFC South.
Dallas, already having clinched an ‘offs spot, so likely will be a wild card team, pretty likely as the “5” and a visitor/fave vs Brady and T.B. in one of three NFC wild card round games.
Meanwhile the (8-5-1) N.Y. Giants have a magic # of 2 vs (7-6-1) Washington and a pair of (7-7) teams, Detroit (Lions), and Seattle (Seahawks) to secure an ‘offs berth. They need to do so “vs” 2 of the 3 cited teams to do so.
Argentina won its first World Cup title since the late, great Diego Maradona led them to the ’86 crown, as another great, Lionel Messi had 2 goals and success in the “gimmick” penalty kicks “round,” that so unfairly decided a once in 4 years, so coveted, international title.
Messi, who finally won a title and I suppose gets to shed all the overblown talk about not having won one (I still get a bit too rattled by titles, citing the fact we as teenagers did not go “all the way” in another, far more important “department–dare I say “compartment” (I hope the first syllable is clear as “com”/calm,) as a reason I /we obsessed over being #1), was brilliant in the final game, as was Kylian Mbappe, the latter joining Geoff Hurst as the only 3 goal scorers in a World Cup final match.
The fact these two greats “dueled” not “in the dust,” but in clutch excellence, is a big positive I take away from a World Cup final and in fact, entire tournament, I did not watch.
What is the opposite and the opposite of his name is Fox play by play person, John Strong.
He used elongated pronunciations of the goal scorers without indicating a goal had been scored.
As stated, I have great regard for the performances of greats, Lionel Messi and Mr. Brappe, evoking fellow greats John Havlicek and Kareem Abdul Jabbar “dueling” in a classic #6 ’74 NBA final.
Since I can not choose between them, it is the great Geoff Hurst, the other 3 goal scorer in a World Cup final match, that for victorious England in 1966, who is pictured above.
Simply and succinctly, I thank “L.B.” for her “extra miles,” help in a personal matter.
“L.B.” stayed on the phone, expressed my situation eloquently and made me feel better as I continue to address the matter, not exactly singing all the way.
However, again “L.B.” helping the cause with beautiful kindness certainly gave me a nice boost in doing so.
Be kind, it helps!
Among the NFL games, this 3 games on Saturday week (a week later there is a pretty full Christmas Eve day “card,” but still there are games scheduled on Christmas Day) is one in which the once (5-2) Jets, now (7-6) Jets host the once (1-6) now (6-7) Detroit Lions.
It also is a clash between the only 2 teams, among the 26 in the NFL in ’70, the first season of the NFC/AFC configuration, not to have appeared in any Super Bowl games.
The Jets won a famous Super Bowl after the 1968 season while the Lions, though with 4 NFL crowns, not too far down the list of most such titles, have not played for that crown, since last winning it in 1957.
Among the contingent of excellent players on the ’68 season title winning New York Jets, was George Sauer Jr. pictured above.
5 years earlier in another same calendar/horrible assassination(s) year, Sauer was a member of the undefeated college champion Texas Longhorns.
Another multi-time Boston Celtics NBA champion player, the great and so determined, Paul Silas died days back.
Paul also won a title with the ’79 Seattle SuperSonics and perhaps eerily, died at age 79.
Mr. Silas, an all-time great both as an offensive rebounder and team player (far more flamboyant, Dennis Rodman fits easily into that category of praise) was a determined force, helping forge 3 title teams, none of which had the top NBA regular season mark, as well as playing on 2 Celtics team (the ’75 team that had the tiebreaker vs the then Washington Bullets, who eventually “semi’d” them and the (68-13) ’73 team) that did, only to be denied even final round entry, losing in the semi-final round.
In all 4 seasons as a Celtics player, the team either won the crown (’74 and ’76) or as cited above, had the top regular season record.
With the Seattle SuperSonics, a franchise now located in Oklahoma City and “you can call them Thunder” (ode to Christine McVie, a true great, that “we” lost recently), Silas played on teams that won one title, made 2 final round appearances and semi-“apps” (oh the technical!) in all 3 seasons he played so hard, perhaps “James Brown hard,” in “The Emerald City.”
I seem to recall his great effort as the Celtics won a close home game vs the eventual ’73 champion, Knicks in #5 of the “semi,” that New York took in 7 games, the first time the Celts lost a game 7, no less a home such game.
Likely Paul Silas’ greatest/most meaningful game was in arguably/not so arguably, the league’s greatest game, #5/1976 NBA final vs the Phoenix Suns, a team Paul helped turn around in ’70 and defeat in a 7 game semi, en route to the Sonics’ ’79 crown.
Brent Musburger, is known for hyperbole.
One of the few times such Musburger comments were not overblown, was in his praise of Paul’s performance in that classic game.
Though only part of the story, Mr. Silas had 17 points and 14 rebounds in that game.
Alas, he called a timeout when the Celts did not have one that luckily, for the so often lucky, but far more often, great Celtics was not acknowledged. That has to be noted.
Perhaps the basketball gods recognized Paul’s efforts all those years and especially that night.
I close citing them as well, a great, determined Paul Silas, being part of some of the league’s greatest games, which still resonate so brightly.
The tremendous, determined player, Paul Silas, pictured above.
Jo Ann Van Fleet is one of the great, so called supporting actors/ actresses of all annals.
Among her great performances were turns as the mother of characters played by brooding, troubled, obviously attractive characters,
played by James Dean and Paul Newman, roughly a dozen years apart first in “East of Eden,” (Dean) and then in “Cool Hand Luke” with Newman.”
My “play” on hands down links Ms. Van Fleet and concerns about her hands, famously “con” gloves when Dean’s “Cal” is in her office in “East of Eden” and wanting so much to improve her hands and nails in a fine episode of “Alfred Hitchcock Presents,” (“Reward to Finder”) opposite Oscar Homolka.
A truly great performer, Jo Van Fleet, is pictured above.
The pitchers that Sunday May 2, 1965, Dave McNally for the Baltimore Orioles and Mel Stottlemyre for the Yankees would amass a combined and quite impressive seven 20 or more wins seasons.
Jerry Adair had set an ongoing record for consecutive fielding chances sans an error the day before. Walter “Red” Barber informed us that a great player, Tommy Davis of the Los “ANGLE-es” (as Red pronounced L.A. which is an acceptable if not the correct pronunciation) broke his ankle the night before, while just after Barber talked of how Yankee Stadium was certainly conducive to Curt Blefary’s left handed power strokes, the then rookie hit a long 2 run home run T2 that scored former Yankees player, Norm Siebern ahead of him.
A pair of true greats, Mickey Mantle of the Yankees and Brooks Robinson of the Orioles were involved in consecutive plays that “retired” the other, Mick grounding out Brooks at third to Norm Siebern at first to end the Yankees’ first, followed by “Robi” flying out to Mickey in left field.
The Orioles had battled the Yankees in the 1964 pennant race (remember those?) before the “Pinstripers” grabbed an incredible 14th pennant in 16 seasons.
Roger Maris, Elston Howard and Clete Boyer were out of the Yankees lineup, however despite both the O’s coming close in ’64 and the injuries limiting new Yankees manager, Johnny Keane’s choices–one would have been very unlikely to predict the Yankees precipitous drop that manifested in 6th and last place seasons in ’65 and ’66 seasons.
Conversely Baltimore rose to the top of the baseball world in 1966, sweeping the defending champion Dodgers.
Yes it was the Dodgers, that despite losing the aforementioned Tommy Davis (sadly the earth “lost” Tommy in 2022), who won the ’65 title. (In the victorious dressing room, after Sandy Koufax had pitched a 3 hit shutout in #7 at Minnesota (Twins) to yield a Dodgers’ title, he told interviewer Vin Scully (you can see Scully was a Barber disciple, listening to “Red”), people picked us for 6th and 8th after Tommy Davis broke his ankle.
Finally, that 1966 World Series ended when Dave McNally, the above cited pitcher that May day the year before, got Lou Johnson (in ’65 W.S. #7, Lou homered to give L.A. a lead they did not relinquish) to fly out to Paul Blair, a second year player, referenced by Barber as not saying “nice to meet you” but “this is a big ballpark” upon Red’s introduction to him. Tommy Davis, never to bat in a Dodgers uniform, but eventually to hit so well for and against the Orioles was on deck as the ’66 World Series ended.
Al Lopez, pictured above, managed both teams, (the ’54 then known as the Indians and ’59 White Sox) that denied the Yankees pennants during their incredible 16 year run.
Similarly but better, Alex Hannum coached both teams that denied the incredibly great Boston Celtics NBA titles during their great 11 titles in 13 seasons display of winning.
While Lopez and his teams were denied in the subsequent World Series by the Giants and then the Dodgers, the Hannum coached St. Louis Hawks won, what is still the franchise’s, (located in Atlanta starting in 1968-1969) lone title “6’ing” the Celtics in the ’58 final.
Nine years later Mr. Hannum’s Philadelphia 76ers ended Boston’s 8 straight titles run, doing so convincingly, winning (140-116) in the clinching 5th game of the “semis.”
Subsequently, Philly beat a San Francisco Warriors team that included greats, Rick Barry, Nate Thurmond and coach Bill Sharman in 6 games to win it all.
Yesterday, I watched a great episode of “Gunsmoke,” with guest star Carroll O’Connor, that aired on October 30, 1967, three plus years before Mr. O’Connor and the seminal show, “All In The Family” debuted.
Both “Gunsmoke,” and “All In The Family” aired on CBS with each ranking as one of the network’s all-time most popular, if not great shows. Certainly “All In The Family” led by the superb O’Connor, a great cast all under the leadership of now 100 year old and “treasure,” Norman Lear was among television’s greatest and most important shows.
“Gunsmoke,” certainly had great episodes, “Major Glory,” which originally aired on Monday night October 30, 1967, was one of them with guest star O’Connor leading the way.
Victor French in a guest role and series regular Ken Curtis, who played “Festus Haggen,” stood out in the episode.
Here’s one that “returned” to me and only me, although in certifying the facts (whatever happened to that in far too many instances of dissemination?!) I came across a fine retrospective and discovered information about a new book, each through the efforts of writer Bob Fox.
I recalled a Halloween (or close to) Monday night tilt, involving the Packers in which Travis Williams had a kickoff return touchdown. Sure enough, it was on October 30, 1967 (Packers 31 Cardinals then in St. Louis where the game was played that night, 23) airing on CBS after “Gunsmoke.”
Only I link touchdown returns, the aforementioned one by Travis “The Roadrunner” Williams, the first of four in that unprecedented 3rd straight title, via a title game win, season by the Packers that aired after Mr. O’Connor in “Gunsmoke” and another.
The other being, a “real life,” (I believe) punt return touchdown by Alvin Hammond, that as “Archie Bunker,” Mr. O’Connor once referenced on “All In The Family.”
The great Carroll O’Connor, pictured above in a role on “Gunsmoke.”
Click below to read an outstanding and helpful article about the October 30, 1967 Pack/Cards (I guess one would say “deck,” not or at least before “pack” of cards, maybe not as in pack of baseball cards) game written by Bob Fox.
Mr. Fox also has written a soon to be out book about the great Jerry Kramer.
Halloween Eve in 1967: The Green Bay Packers Get a Return on Investment
Andy B Sports 